What is in Kelvin's Head?

Sermon preached for St Mungo – 13 January 2013

14/01/2013

I have to confess that for most of my life I did not give St Mungo much of passing thought. I certainly encountered him when I was in primary school up the road in that I remember a wonderful Primary 5 teacher in Bearsden making us do a project on the great urban conurbation that we were living so close by. The topic was Glasgow and thus we all had to draw our own version of the city crest – the bird, the tree, the bell and the fish – each representative of miracles in the lives of our patron saint.

After that I didn’t think of him again until a couple of years ago. During the time after Bishop Idris had retired and before Bishop Gregor started, there was a period of time when there was no bishop around to go to civic events. These ended up being divvied up between the Dean and the Provost and perhaps the Synod Clerk, to ensure that the Episcopal Church was represented at events which needed a bigwig.

I don’t know what I expected when I entered the ordained ministry of the church. I certainly didn’t expect to be a stand-in part-time bigwig going to events like that.

However, it can be fun – so long as you learn to smile and nod a lot you go far (more…)

18 responses to “Biretta Watch – Snowy Day”

Lay clerk

10/03/2009

Hats are old hat. What you really need is a papal ombrellino to keep the snow off! Then you could wear a wooly hat under it which no one would notice because they’d all be so impressed by what you were carrying. Or maybe what the server was carrying for you.

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kelvin

10/03/2009

Don’t think for a moment, Lay Clerk, that I have not used such a liturgical essential whilst worshipping the Lord in Scotland.

I most certainly have, though not to keep the snow off.

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Lay clerk

11/03/2009

Heaven forfend that I would even consider for a fleeting moment that you had not taken advantage of the full panoply of liturgical sex-aids available!

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David |Dah • veed|

11/03/2009

I am sure that the proper term Lay Clerk is paraments!

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Jeff Queen

12/03/2009

I do like the biretta when traveling…will be wearing one this weekend in the St. Patrick’s day parade. Just a thought, maybe you should change the name of the site to “What’s on Kelvin’s Head.” Just a thought.

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Paul

12/09/2011

Have been trying desperately to find a Canterbury Cap these last few weeks. Seems no-one makes or sells them anymore!
A shame, as my former parish was the home of Lancelot Andrewes and they are celebrating his contribution to the translation of the KJB during a Festival Weekend, 24/25 September. I so wanted to wear a hat more in sympathy with the 17th century!
I shall either default to a skullcap or a biretta, I guess….
😉

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Rosemary Hannah

12/09/2011

Some academic head gear (doctoral level) is based on the Canterbury Cap – try academic outfitters.

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Kennedy

12/09/2011

I think I saw +Idris sporting one at the TISEC award ceremony.

Maybe he’ll know where to get one.

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